This invention relates to a loading device for a cassette tape recorder, and more particularly to a loading device which comprises a ring gear for loading and unloading a tape onto and from a drum, the tape being provided in a tape cassette mounted on a supply reel and a take-up reel on a tape deck, and a guide rail for mounting the ring gear to prevent deviation during its rotation.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional loading device for a cassette tape recorder used for video cassette recorders (VCRs), digital audio tapes (DATs), and subminiature camcorders, comprises a rotation drum 11 mounted in the middle of a deck 10 and a plurality of heads (not illustrated) for recording and reproducing signals to and from a magnetic tape traveling along a certain travel path on the drum 11.
A capstan motor 12, mounted on the deck 10, provides the power to transfer or load the magnetic tape on the supply reel and the take-up reel (not illustrated) to the drum 11. An arm 14 is fixed on one end of a control means 13 for converting the power of the capstan motor 12. On the arm 14, a power converting means 15 comprising first and second gear parts 16, 17 being engaged with each other is fixedly mounted on the deck 10 by a shaft 18.
A series of first through fourth gears 19, 20, 21, and 22 are sequentially engaged with each other for transmitting power of the capstan motor 12 via the power converting means 15 to a ring gear 24 of a loading device 23.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of supporting members 25, having shoulders 25a, are fixedly mounted on the deck 10. The inner end of ring gear 24 is mounted on the shoulder 25a so as to rotate outwardly on the upper portion of each supporting member 25 so as to prevent the ring gear 24 from deviating outwardly while the ring gear is rotating.
In a conventional loading device of the type described above, when loading the tape onto the drum, the capstan motor 12 rotates in a clockwise direction, and the power therefrom is selectively transferred to the power converting means 15 and properly reduced by the series of the first through the fourth gears 19-22, which are engaged with the second gear part 17 of the power converting means 15. The ring gear 24 engaged with the fourth gear 22 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, thereby moving a pole base 27 in the direction to load the magnetic tape onto the drum 11.
When unloading the magnetic tape, the capstan motor 12 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, and the power therefrom is transferred to the power converting means 15 and the series of the first to the fourth gears 19-22, so that the ring gear 24 engaged with the fourth gear 22 is rotated in a clockwise direction, thereby moving the pole base 27 in a direction to unload the magnetic tape from the drum.
When the ring gear 24 rotates in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the fixing members 26 prevent the ring gear 24 from deviating by holding the ring gear 24 at the upper portion of the supporting members 25.
However, according to the conventional tape loading device as above, since a plurality of supporting members is required for mounting the ring gear rotatably and a plurality of fixing members is required for preventing the ring gear from deviation while it is rotating, the device has disadvantages in that the number of components is large and the assembly process is complicated.